Mobile Terminal and Control Method Thereof

1. A mobile terminal, comprising: a touch screen located on a first side of the mobile terminal; an input unit located on the first side of the mobile terminal, wherein the touch screen is different from the input unit, and wherein the location of the input unit is different from the location of the touch screen; a memory configured to store an unlocking pattern; and a controller configured to: cause the touch screen to display a first plurality of figures in a first area of the touch screen in a locked mode, wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a first interval distance relative to each other; cause the touch screen to display initially a second plurality of figures in a second area of the touch screen in response to receiving an input at the input unit, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein the displaying of the second plurality of figures occurs in the locked mode, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a second interval distance relative to each other, wherein an orientation of the row-column format of the second plurality of figures is the same as an orientation of the row-column format of the first plurality of figures, and wherein the second interval distance is less than the first interval distance; and cause the touch screen to display a screen in an unlocked mode when a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern, wherein the touch pattern is received at the second area after the second plurality of figures are displayed in the second area.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first area is an overall area of the touch screen.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of figures are evenly arranged relative to each other in the first area.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a push button.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: cause the touch screen to display the screen in the unlocked mode when the touch pattern is received in a particular order at particular figures of the second plurality of figures.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: cause the touch screen to display a screen in the unlocked mode when a touch pattern received at the first area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the touch pattern represents touch input received at particular figures of the second plurality of figures.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the touch pattern represents drag input received at two or more adjacent figures of the second plurality of figures.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of figures and the second plurality of figures are displayed in 2D or 3D.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: cause the touch screen to terminate the displaying of the first plurality of figures after receiving the input at the input unit.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the touch pattern is a tapping.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, and wherein the input at the input unit is received during a period of time that the first plurality of figures are displayed.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, and wherein the row-column format of the first plurality of figures is same as the row-column format of the second plurality of figures.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a dome switch.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the input unit comprises a touch pad.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a physical contact with the input unit.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to: cause the touch screen to continue to display the second plurality of figures in the second area in a locked state until a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern.

18. An unlocking method for a mobile terminal having a touch screen and an input unit that is at a location that is different from a location of the touch screen, the method comprising: displaying, on the touch screen, a first plurality of figures in a first area of the touch screen in a locked mode, and wherein the first plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a first interval distance relative to each other; displaying initially, on the touch screen, a second plurality of figures in a second area of the touch screen in response to receiving an input at the input unit, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area, wherein the displaying of the second plurality of figures occurs in the locked mode, wherein the second plurality of figures are displayed in a row-column format in which adjacent figures within a row are located at a second interval distance relative to each other, wherein an orientation of the row-column format of the second plurality of figures is the same as an orientation of the row-column format of the first plurality of figures, and wherein the second interval distance is less than the first interval distance; and displaying, on the touch screen, a screen in an unlocked mode when a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to a stored unlocking pattern, wherein the touch pattern is received at the second area after the second plurality of figures are displayed in the second area.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first plurality of figures are evenly arranged relative to each other in the first area.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the input unit comprises a push button.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the touch pattern represents touch input received at particular figures of the second plurality of figures.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the touch pattern represents drag input received at two or more adjacent figures of the second plurality of figures.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: terminating the displaying of the first plurality of figures after receiving the input at an input unit of the mobile terminal.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, and wherein the input at the input unit is received during a period of time that the first plurality of figures are displayed.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein a number of figures that define the first plurality of figures is same as a number of figures that define the second plurality of figures, wherein the row-column format of the first plurality of figures is same as the row-column format of the second plurality of figures.

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein the input unit comprises a dome switch.

27. The method of claim 18 , wherein the input unit comprises a touch pad.

28. The method of claim 18 , wherein the user input comprises a physical contact with the input unit.

29. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: continuing to display the second plurality of figures in the second area in a locked state until a touch pattern received at the second area of the touch screen corresponds to the stored unlocking pattern.